Stay
by dappersquid
Summary: Everyone leaves Lin eventually, but Kya keeps coming back.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This takes place after the hypothetical end of Book 3.

_Four steps._ A hip twinges in protest. _Three more._ Swollen knees are feeling thankfully numb. Just two more steps to her door—then eight and she could collapse on the couch, maybe find that small bottle tucked away in the cushions. A few hours of letting the walls close in and keep out the world—no triad, no city, no sister, no mother, no avatar.

Lin's hand is already turning the knob, pushing open the door when _something's-not-right-someone's-here_ ripples through her senses.

A quick burn of adrenaline sets sore muscles into an attack pose. Toes dig into the floor and vibrations take form—one figure, female—in the bathroom . . . _kneeling by the tub? Humming_?

She exhales, almost laughs then slumps against the door.

"Aren't they going to miss you on the island?" Lin calls.

"I doubt it. The kids didn't even wake up when Oogi landed," a voice answers. "Besides, they have an army of acolytes and new air benders to help out now."

With a longing glance towards the couch, Lin makes her way into her bedroom. Her limbs feel heavy, disconnected—_like lead_—what a stupid expression. There's a careless pile of blue on the rug at the foot of her bed, a sweet smell and the sound of running water filling the room.

"What are you doing here, Kya?"

The water stops but the perfume grows stronger, seems to follow the smiling woman who steps towards her into the room.

"You didn't let me heal you before we left the Northern Air Temple," the older woman scolds.

Kya's all metal tonight, Lin thinks—soft metals, silver hair piled precariously on top of her head, and hard—titanium-colored silk, a robe—_her robe_, and Kya's hands leaving damp trails as she brushes them over the fabric, drying them.

Lin feels like lead.

She takes the smallest step back to regain her balance and clear her head but the curve of Kya's lips fall, her eyebrows knit in worry and she's caught.

Suddenly Kya's standing so close Lin can feel her breath on her face. She's obviously saying something, wants something. Her hands are alternately pulling and pushing at the metal covering her shoulders.

" . . . uniform . . . off. . ." Kya's tone and pure muscle memory puppet Lin's arms and with a tired flick of both wrists, the metal plates of her uniform slide to a neat stack on the floor.

Kya steps back. Blue eyes flick over Lin's face, her chest, her arms—every bit of skin left exposed by her undershirt. Kya bites her lower lip, tallying the damage written in burns and bruises across the earth bender's pale skin.

Lin thinks, it must look as bad as it feels.

"Oh, Lin."

Twin streams of concern and anger run through Kya's voice, bringing Lin's arms defensively across her chest. She can feel the blood and sweat that have crusted on her shirt but she doesn't need anyone's sympathy. "Always looks worse than it is," she mumbles.

She's never been a particularly good liar and Kya knows it.

She tries—_and fails_—not to flinch as Kya's fingers, a healer's strong, graceful fingers, carefully prod a bruise on her bicep—shivers as one of those fingers trails the edge of a burn at her collar bone—"Kya, don't"—bites back a moan when Kya's fingers flick across the long-healed scars on her cheek for the briefest moment—"Don't fuss."

"I just need to sleep." Lin absently rubs at her temples and takes a step back towards the bed. "I'll be fine in the morning."

"No." Kya circles Lin and plants herself stubbornly between Lin and her destination. "I'm not going anywhere until you let me take care of you."

Lin exhales and closes her eyes, resigned. "Fine."

"Raise your arms." Lin's eyes snap open as Kya's fingers work their way under the hem of her tank, skimming across bruised ribs.

"Damn it, Kya!" Lin pushes the water bender's hands away, her shirt down. "I'm not helpless."

"Fine." Kya shrugs and waves a hand at her, walks away, across the room. She pauses at the door: "Just get undressed and in the tub—_please_."

* * *

Kya had been back in the room as soon as she heard a splash and a hissed curse. The water was no more lapping against Lin's shoulders than Kya was putting a cup of warm tea to Lin's lips and saying, "Drink."

The water is painfully cold. But every cut, every ache is on fire.

Lin's fingers grip the side of the iron tub as Kya's palms touch her shoulders. She watches as the glowing water under Kya's command marches down her right arm, kneading deeply into her bicep, tracing the length of her forearm, and circling her wrist before lapping at a blistered knuckle.

She watches Kya's fingers lace with hers. She wonders briefly at how Kya is managing this when her hands are obviously on either side of her face, gently tilting her head back into the water. She opens her mouth to ask, finds water instead of her voice. Green eyes shoot open and search for blue.

She's lost hold of the metal that had been tethering her. Swallowed, she's blind and breathless.

Kya's face is above her-silver rivers are flowing down Kya's breasts-Kya's hands are guiding her face upwards—"I've got you."

* * *

She sits bolt upright in the dark, gasping and lost. Strong hands find hers clutching at the sheets.

"It's okay. It's me."

Strong hands guide her fingers over the familiar slope of a chin, the angle of a cheekbone, eyelashes giving way to tiny laugh lines. Lin's thumb brushes across a nose and she feels the quick exhale of breath, the curving of familiar lips under her palm. Lips that plant a damp kiss on her palm.

"I'm still here." Another kiss, to her wrist this time, and she's falling again.

* * *

"You drugged me."

Kya stared up at the woman standing across from her—uniform in place, fists firmly planted at her hips—and smiled. "How do you feel?"

_How to answer that question?_ Lin thought. _The best she's felt since Korra restored her bending? Like she could almost move past what happened with Su and the Red Lotus?_

Kya was still waiting for her response, sitting cross-legged in a chair at the kitchen table. A cup of tea was leaving a stain on the weeks-old _Republic City Gazette_ spread out in front of her.

_Like it's almost worse to have a little bit of normal before the world goes to hell again?_

"I'm almost certain you drowned me."

Ignoring the accusation, Kya extended one leg to press her toes against the chair nearest Lin, sliding it out a few inches in invitation.

She's offering me a seat at my own damn table, Lin thought. A quirk at the corner of her mouth threatened to betray the determined set of her jaw. Lin's hands dropped to the back of the chair but she didn't sit.

"Better . . . much better actually," she finally answered. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Kya held Lin's gaze until she saw the faintest hint of a blush on the Police Chief's throat. She tucked a wave of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear as Lin looked down at the table. Kya grabbed the kettle that had been cooling on the table and started filling the cup she had set out earlier for Lin. "Tea?"

Lin looked skeptically at the frothy green liquid being poured into her cup, then at Kya.

"It's Matcha," Kya laughed, waving off Lin's suspicions.

Lin raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"And that's all." Kya raised a hand in oath. "I promise."

Lin considered the offer. Sit with Kya, have a cup of tea before work. Thousands of people—couples, families—were doing the same thing across the city right now. It was such a normal thing to do.

"No." Normal didn't last. "Thank you, for everything." Lin smoothed her hands down her uniform, straightening invisible creases. "But I have to get going."

"Lin."

The disappointment in Kya's voice wasn't enough to make her stay, but it was enough that Lin blurted out, "You let yourself in, so I assume—_you can let yourself out_," and headed towards the door before she could see Kya flinch at her gruff tone.

"Lin." Kya's voice was firmer this time and she was moving towards Lin.

Lin held a hand up to stop the usual admonitions. "I am not taking a day off to be coddled. Do you have any idea— "

To Lin's surprise, Kya moved past her, opening the door for her.

Two steps and Lin was standing outside her door again.

"I was just going to say, I'll be here when you get back."

One more and Lin mumbled, "Do what you want."


	2. Chapter 2

She'd missed being barefoot, Kya realized. Her years spent in the wintery north were not exactly conducive to this particular indulgence.

She wiggled her toes. It was a strangely intimate experience.

The floors of Lin's house were made of rich stone. At first glance the earth-hued tiles appeared to be mined from the same source, but each step was met with a subtly different texture.

Slate, sandstone, limestone, maybe granite—Kya couldn't name them all but she knew with a certainty that Lin could, down to the finest details of their composition, the exact mix of quartz, of clay. It was such a, _a_ _Lin thing_—to hide away what little extravagances, what little pleasures, she allowed herself. Still, she was happy Lin allowed herself these little indulgences when the rest of the house was so Spartan.

* * *

She was less happy when 9 o'clock came and went with no Lin. At midnight she considered ringing the station but settled for a soak in the tub—and leaving wet footprints all over Lin's fancy floor.

She woke up at some ungodly hour of the morning—cursing the noise from the street vendors outside the window and wondering if this was all still such a good idea.

She ate cold noodles from the box she'd left sitting out last night.

By noon the next day she'd made friends with Lin's neighbors and the delivery boy blush, had riffled through Lin's clothes and not put things back exactly the way she had found them.

Bumi would call this a siege.

* * *

When the door finally opened, the lanterns outside were lighting the streets and she had settled onto Lin's couch for what could only be called passive-aggressive reading.

She had some witty retort on the edge of her tongue—a "Hi, honey. How was your day?"—to head off Lin's inevitable complaints—but didn't have need for it as Lin moved across the room.

Glib words couldn't articulate the sudden shift in the room's gravity, her gravity as Lin was pulling her up, drawing her forward until she was on her feet face to face with the other woman. Frantic hands at her waist, groping past her ass, clutching at the backs of her thighs—Kya let herself be caught up in the upward momentum, until her arms fell naturally around Lin's neck, shifted her weight until her legs were wound around Lin's hips.

Hazarding one hand to lose its grip on Lin's neck, Kya framed the side of Lin's face, catching the warm flush that was ebbing across her cheek beneath her palm. Jade eyes met hers then closed as Kya bent her head to trail her mouth along Lin's jaw, lips inevitably tracing the arc of scars.

She could hear Lin's breath catch, feel Lin's hands momentarily falter in distraction. She locked her ankles, squeezing her thighs against Lin to compensate. She both damned and thanked the thin, warn fabric of the pants she had stolen from Lin's closet—her thighs strained to keep from sliding down the metal of Lin's uniform but her determined squirming sent Lin's hands to pull her closer, what was left of Lin's presence of mind to move them to the bedroom.

Gravity curiously righted itself again when she was dropped on the bed, Lin standing between her knees.

By the time Kya had tugged the white shirt over her own head, Lin had Kya's pants skimming past her calves and tangling at her feet.

Lin's fingers were on her own belt when Kya suddenly dipped her head, her tongue darting out to taste a spot just below Lin's badge.

Lin's lips parted. Her fingers flexed unconsciously.

Kya had seen most of the world but the sight of Lin Bei Fong on the cusp of losing control was still one of her favorites.

And Lin Bei Fong pushing her back, practically crawling over her wasn't bad either.

* * *

Two fingers are buried deep inside her, driven just a fraction deeper by each jerk of Lin's hips. Lin's full weight, made just a fraction unfamiliar with the added weight of her uniform, is driving each movement. _Pure power_, Kya thought. Lin's eyes were closed in the perfect picture of concentration, one arm stretched out to grip the edge of the bed. _Power_ above, around, inside her.

Kya's fingernails scratched futilely down Lin's shoulders.

Lin's armor was cool against her stomach, her thighs, a perfect counterpoint to the heat of Lin's mouth at her throat, her tongue over the pulse.

"_Please_-"

Lin's movements lost any sense of rhythm when Kya's fingers joined hers.

* * *

Kya felt herself coil—felt the beads of sweat sliding down Lin's shoulder blades, felt the very molecules in Lin's breath—felt the silky warmth pooling between Lin's legs—and release.

* * *

Kya watched a growl form in Lin's throat and escape past her lips, watched the carefully formed metal fall carelessly to the sheets around them. She moved her leg between Lin's, arched up, and said _please_ again.

* * *

"There's take-out in the ice-box," Kya offered, later, absently tracing the line of Lin's spine with her fingers.

Lin's face only burrowed deeper into her pillow.

Kya's fingers slowed in their path down Lin's back.

"In the last 36 hours, have you eaten?" The movement of steel-gray hair against the pillow could have been a nod. "Slept?"

Her response was muffled but Kya could make it out just the same: "At the station."

Kya's fingers stopped, withdrew.

"Because I was here?"

Lin was silence for so long that Kya gave up on getting an answer, dropped a kiss to Lin's spine anyway.

"Because you might not have been."


	3. Chapter 3

_"Because you might not have been."_

_There_. She'd said it. She'd meant it.

Lin reluctantly let herself be coaxed onto her back.

Blue eyes stared earnestly down into hers, Kya settling over her. A wave of silver fell against Lin's mouth.

She blew the errant hair away with an exaggerated puff.

Bei Fongs don't back down, but they'll certainly dodge a sentimental scene if given half the chance.

"You say things like _that_," Kya began.

_Here it comes. _

"-makes me want to eat you all up."

Kya's teeth nipped at Lin's lower lip, mouth quickly moving down, over a collarbone, catching the faintest twitch in a well-toned stomach.

"Your innuendo, _like your jokes-_" Lin tangled her fingers in Kya's hair, pulling enough to bring Kya's eyes back to hers. "Is never particularly funny."

Kya shrugged, shook off Lin's grip, undeterred. "Less a joke . . ." she began, pausing when she found the ridge of Lin's hip bone. She bit and sucked until it stung, until it was guaranteed to mark.

Another twitch, stronger, and a hiss—although she'd never admit it, Lin quite liked these secret, angry little stains Kya left in her wake, so sweetly earned unlike the other bruises she generally bore.

"More," Kya continued, settling Lin's leg over her shoulder, settling herself between Lin's legs. "A fair warning."

The twitch turned into a contented quake when Kya's mouth met her.

* * *

Lin arched her back. She stretched her arms over her head, flexed her fingers against the headboard.

There was no rush to the finish, just the ebb and flow of pleasure, a teasing tide of sensation.

But this patience was practiced: Lin can remember a Kya barely past her teens telling her, "Don't be stupid. I wouldn't do it if I didn't like it," teasing her after—"Want to see why I like it so much?"-and kissing her with that messy, sticky mouth until she understood.

* * *

_Water-bender magic_. There was absolutely no other explanation for it in this world or the other.

* * *

Lin felt every nerve drawn to one singular point, swept up under Kya's commanding tongue.

Then shocking loss as Kya's mouth withdrew. Lin watched tan fingers tighten their grip on her hips, Kya's eyes suddenly watching her over the plane of her own stomach.

Lin nodded—permission, _a plea_.

Kya exhaled.

One breath directed at her center and Lin was drowning—she was sitting up, clutching at Kya's head and she was drowning.

* * *

"I'll have you know that I've gotten remarkably good at staying in one place."

Lin fell back, laughing.

"_See_. My jokes are funny."


	4. Chapter 4

Lin was sorely tempted to skip work today. Or at least go in a few hours late.

Kya had slept through Lin extricating her arm from beneath Kya's pillow, hadn't stirred when the shower turned on or when the kettle had whistled from the kitchen. But now as Lin was dressed and ready to leave, she was finally stretching her arms over her head, running a hand through her tangled hair—and paying no attention to the sheet that had fallen to her waist, leaving her breasts bare save for a few silver locks obstinately obscuring one dusky nipple.

_Definitely tempting_.

"You leaving already?"

So tempting that Lin found herself sitting at the edge of the bed—teasing, "We can't all lounge about in bed all day"—and sweeping the hair over Kya's shoulder. She brushed the back of her fingers down the side of Kya's breast and watched the nipple peak in response.

She was about to say work be damned and let her mouth follow in her fingers' wake when Kya said, "Need to go back to the island today."

Lin's hand retreated, her back stiffened.

"Of course."

Kya's arms wound around Lin's neck before she could move away. She kissed the side of her mouth, disturbing the frown that was already settling there. "Just for a bit," she whispered against Lin's lips. "And we'll _visit_."

Another, longer kiss coaxed Lin's lips apart—a nod and a mumbled "visit."

* * *

A steady stream of ringing phones, the monotonous clacking of keys as reports were typed up, punctuated with the periodic outburst of some perp who didn't take kindly to being arrested-when the monotonous sound of her officers fell to a hush and then a soft roar, Lin willed whatever—_whoever_—was out there away.

Her grip tightened around the pen in her hand.

She really wasn't in the mood.

"_Trust me. You do not want to go in there."_

Mako's voice.

"_But I really need to talk to her!"_

Lin rubbed at her clenched jaw and sighed, recognizing the other voice.

"_It's important_."

"_You can't just go_—"

"Dammit—Mako, just let her in!" Lin yelled.

Her door swung open to reveal a flustered Mako-and a smiling Korra.

"Chief."

"Avatar."

As soon as Mako closed the door behind himself, Lin went back to the report in front of her. "You have one minute."

"Okay," Korra began. "I know you've said 'no' in the past. That you're too busy." Lin glanced up, annoyed at the rambling only to see Korra staring down at the floor, seemingly fascinated with her boot. "But, _well_, Kya said you might consider—"

"Sometime today, Korra."

"I want you to teach me metal bending," the girl blurted in one breath.

Lin leaned back in her chair, swept a hand through her hair. _This again._

"Su already taught you."

"Yeah, the basics." Korra settled into one of the pair of chairs in front of Lin's desk. "But I want to master it." Her bright blue eyes met Lin's. "Like you."

"Surely you can find someone else who has the time-"

"No one as good as you," Korra interrupted. "And Kya said to tell you that visiting the island would be good for you too. That you need to get away from the city more often."

Lin's eyes narrowed at Korra.

"Kya said that, did she?"

"Yes."

"That I should _visit_?"

"Yeah."

"When did you and Kya have this little chat?"

"This morning. At the dock. I was leaving as she was coming in," Korra explained. "And . . . I'm sorry."

"For what?" Lin was genuinely confused. Korra didn't often apologize, and never for barging into her office.

"I didn't know you were hurt that bad or I would never have left."

The concern on the young Avatar's face was so sincere that Lin had to smile—albeit just a bit.

"I was fine."

"Kya said she'd been here taking care of you."

Lin almost laughed.

Instead she stood up and brought her palms down flat against her desk and leaned towards Korra: "Tomorrow evening."

It was Korra's turn to be confused.

"Tomorrow evening," Lin explained, "I'll come to Air Temple Island and give you your first metal bending _master class._" Lin rolled her eyes at that last phrase even as she said it.

"Really?!"

The girl was practically bouncing in the chair. She had so much in common with that damn, drooling polar bear dog of hers—annoying and charming all at once, Lin thought.

"But the first time you goof off is the last time you ever get a lesson from me," Lin warned. "Are we clear?"

"I promise!" Korra was on her feet, grinning. "No goofing off. And no sass mouth."

Lin sat back down, looked at the still unfinished report in front of her and back to the Avatar. She was still standing there. Spirts, she hoped the girl wasn't waiting for a hug.

"Did you need something else?"

"No," Korra said. "_Oh_. I'll get going. See you tomorrow!"

"Close the door behind you, Korra."

* * *

The stack of reports on her desk was only marginally smaller than when she had started this morning, Lin noted resignedly. She rolled her shoulders until her neck cracked.

A particularly colorful insult about someone's mother rang out from the other side of her door—actually she caught her mother's name somewhere in the rant as it went on.

Right.

* * *

"Mako, show our guest down to the interrogation room. I think he wants to talk to _me_."


	5. Chapter 5

Lin hadn't been expecting Kya to greet her at the dock in some grand romantic gesture, but she certainly hadn't expected to find her in the lotus position—on a dais surrounded by half a dozen new air benders.

"I don't know. Graphite and some . . . iron."

When she wasn't immediately corrected and told to concentrate harder, Korra followed Lin's distracted gaze.

"Been like that for an hour."

Lin looked back at her new pupil with a start. She didn't appreciate being caught.

"Bumi's asleep," Lin noted dryly.

"I've had some of my best naps while meditating with Tenzin."

########################

"Gold?"

"No."

"But it's sparkly."

"Concentrate."

########################

"How was your metal-bending lesson, Korra?" Kya asked.

The entire family—Lin and Korra included—were seated around a long table in the dining hall.

"Looked about as interesting as my 'journey to inner-tranquility,'" Bumi answered for her.

Kya elbowed him in the ribs and Korra snorted her drink before she could stop herself.

She looked at Lin and said quickly—a bit too enthusiastically, "I can identify four different types of meteorites."

Even Lin had to laugh.

########################

Dinner turned into a chaotic affair as more and more of the new air benders joined them.

Meelo had insisted on sitting next to Lin and bending his baby brother, up and down, up and down, through the air.

She had narrowly missed being vomited on.

"I think he has a little crush on you," Kya teased. "He draws pictures of you and an exploding airship."

Lin noted that her admirer was currently picking his nose and quickly looked away.

A green dragon-fly bunny spirit was sitting far too close to her plate, putting his foot into an oversized ear and scratching.

She looked across the table to Kya for help.

"Does it have to sit at the table?"

"Are you talking about Bum-Ju or Meelo?"

########################

Kya found Lin outside after dinner looking out over the bay. She settled next to her on the steps and watched the moonlight slowly rippling across the shallow waves, such a stark contrast to the bustle of the ever-expanding household inside.

"It's late."

The observation—and its implication—made Lin smile in the faint light, made her lamely admit, "Last boat's gone."

"One of the acolytes could take you to the mainland."

"I wouldn't want to inconvenience anyone."

"All the guestrooms are full of new air benders."

"That's unfortunate."

"Guess we'll have to share."

"How hospitable of you."

########################

Lin yawned.

Kya stopped unwinding the binding around her breasts. She put her hands on her hips, feigning offence. "Well, I know they aren't what they were when I was 20 but-"

"I'm sorry," Lin laughed and drew Kya closer, close enough to rest her hands on soft hips and nuzzle her cheek against a tanned stomach.

Kya dropped the pretend pout.

"You know," she offered. "I won't be offended if we just _sleep_."

A soft bed, cool sheets, and a warm Kya—Lin wouldn't take much convincing. "That might be nice."

"Aunt Kya?" A soft, but persistent knock followed the voice.

Lin groaned. Tenzin and Pema needed to stop multiplying.

"Just a minute, Ikki," Kya called. She rested her forehead on Lin's and explained, "She has trouble falling asleep."

Lin didn't have to wonder why—Equalists, the Red Lotus—"Go ahead."

"Give me half an hour." Kya dropped a kiss to Lin's cheek. "Unless you want to go tell her all about meteorites and then it might be faster."

Kya herself didn't move fast enough to avoid the pinch that dug into her hip. She slapped Lin's hand and grabbed her robe—"Half an hour."

"Bumi was snoring."

########################

Over an hour later, after listening to Ikki talk about someone named Blueberry Spicehead until she wore herself out and her sleepy ramble turned to a soft snore, Kya found Lin fast asleep in her bed.

Sprawled.

She looked so damned cute.

Lin would be appalled.

########################

"You arrested Kya!?"

All eyes were fixed on her, Korra's the widest.

Lin looked down at the rice on her plate.

_Why_ were they talking about this?

"It's not a very exclusive club," Pema teased.

And why did she have to keep bringing _that_ up?

"She arrested me too-the first time we met," Korra added.

Where was the little vomiting one when you needed him? Lin thought.

"Fine. Yes," Lin said. "It was during her extended 'finding herself' phase." The exaggerated air quotes spoke volumes. "Failure to disperse and destruction of private property."

"It was a peaceful protest," Kya argued. "The runoff from that factory destroyed an air-bison habitat."

"She threw paint at the CEO of Cabbage Corp's car," Lin clarified.

That dinner after Korra's second lesson wasn't measurably better than the first but at least she was still awake when Kya came back to her room later.

########################

Nor was dinner any better when Korra's friends joined them the next week.

"What do you think Opal's favorite color is?"

Not only had they distracted Korra from doing anything other than showing off, but the Bolin-boy had been pestering her all night.

"The fan comes in green—and her eyes are green—but it also comes in blue. She's an air bender now and air benders have blue tattoos."

"You've known her for exactly as long as I have," Lin snapped.

Her mood was not made improved by the fact that she had to present evidence at a trial first thing tomorrow morning. She'd have to inconvenience one of the acolytes after all.

########################

In all the times she'd visited Air Temple Island—as far back as she could remember—Lin had never gotten used to the air-acolytes being underfoot. Her mom had referred to them as lily livers but not in the _affectionate_ way she had referred to her own students.

"They forget my name sometimes," Kya whispered, though there was really no need to as the young man wasn't paying them the slightest attention as he prepped the boat for a return trip to the mainland.

########################

"Did you keep any of the things I sent you?" Kya asked just before she left.

"A few."

########################

In the middle of that trial which threatened to stretch on for weeks, Kya surprised her outside headquarters, drug her out to Narook's for dinner where the noodles really were as excellent as Kya said they would be and, better yet, no one threatened to vomit on her or asked her for advice about wooing her niece.

And no one interrupted when they'd fallen into bed that night and slept, or when she'd woken up early the next morning and kissed Kya awake.

"I like coming home to you."

"I can tell."


	6. Chapter 6

Lin shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She pulled at her collar.

This was ridiculous. She was not some teenager at the whim of her hormones.

But she'd woken up that morning . . . irritatingly aroused.

And even more irritatingly alone.

The cold shower she took proved nothing more than an old-wives' tale.

Even the open-forum city council meeting, usually painfully boring enough to kill even the hardiest libido, went horribly wrong when she glanced out at the audience and saw none other than the source of all her frustration.

Kya was in the crowd. Kya who had smiled up at her—and raised an eyebrow, Kya who had disappeared by the time the meeting adjourned—like it hadn't been almost two weeks since they had seen each other, like it hadn't been even longer than that since they had been alone together.

Nieces and nephews, avatars and acolytes, arsonists and petty thieves—they all had remarkably inconsiderate timing as of late.

"Your two-o'clock's here, chief."

Lin glanced at the scribbled notes on her calendar and made a mental note to speak to her sergeant about his penmanship. _Chair of the Committee for the Celebration of _. . . something.

"Fine," she called. "Send him in."

Lin shuffled the crime scene photos littering her desk into a folder. She set her jaw and squared her shoulders. She could get through another meeting.

The shock of Kya stepping through her door clearly registered on her face—and with other parts of her body that had been betraying her all day.

Kya closed the door. A decided click signaled that she had also locked it.

Kya smiled, said, "_Chief_," in greeting and Lin swallowed hard.

Her hair was wind-blown, even more tendrils escaping from the knot atop her head than usual. Her collarbones—_Spirits_.

Not today.

Lin stood up behind her desk before Kya could see her squirm. She put on what she hoped was her best taking-no-shit-from-a-perp scowl.

"We've talked about this," she warned. "Not here."

Kya's face was the picture of innocence.

"But I have an appointment."

"What?" Lin looked down at the scrawled writing again. "_You're_ the Chair of the Committee for the Celebration of—"

"Southern Water Tribe Heritage," Kya finished. "Co-chair, actually. Republic City has a growing water bender population—who want to celebrate the Festival of the Waning Crescent. We'll need security for the crowds."

Festival. Waning Crescent. Security. Maybe she was letting her own hormone-addled brain create conspiracy where there wasn't any.

"And why talk to some green lieutenant when I have the Chief of Police's . . . _ear_?"

Or maybe Kya was up to exactly what she suspected.

Kya's smile had gone from friendly to fire-cat who ate the canary-fish in the space of seconds.

"No," Lin said again.

It almost sounded like she meant it.

"So your current _state_ is from that very captivating council meeting—and not because you've been thinking about me?"

Lin flushed.

"That's a cheap water-bender trick."

"I can't stay in the city tonight. I've promised Bumi to help him with his meditation," Kya continued matter-of-factly. "And we're just having a meeting."

But she was circling Lin's desk, looking her over from head to toe and lingering on a few points in between.

"You're already standing here all . . . serious and intimidating."

She stopped when she was standing behind Lin.

Dangerously close behind her, Lin noted.

"I bet if I were some other petty official wasting your time with frivolous matters you'd put your hands down here on the desk." Kya's hands trailed down Lin's arms to find the fingers clenched at her sides. She laced her fingers through Lin's and guided them down, coaxed them to lie flat over forgotten folders and reports.

"Keep them there."

########################

When Lin's head tilted unconsciously to let her kiss the spot where jaw met neck, Kya obliged, ran her tongue to Lin's earlobe and closed her lips around it.

She moved her hands blindly beneath Lin's uniform, groping for the buttons on her pants. She was surprised that Lin hadn't moved, wasn't putting up a fuss, or at the very least hastening her quest to get her pants open. She studied her lover's profile: Lin's eyes were closed, her breathing labored over parted lips.

When she was finally able to maneuver her hand beneath fabric to find skin, she almost forgot the little game she was playing. When her fingers finally slipped through silky folds—_spirits_, so very, _wonderfully_, wet—she let out a surprised gasp next to Lin's ear before she could stop herself.

She watched Lin frown and flush, in embarrassment now, and felt a shocking wave of possessiveness, of pure _mine. _Shebit the back of Lin's neck just below her hairline, gnashed her teeth against Lin's skin until she felt her flinch.

She moved her fingers again, slid two between tight, pulsing walls without preamble, ground the heel of her palm against Lin until Lin's own fingers were clutching at the papers on her desk.

Lin's teeth were closed against her bottom lip, but a strangled sound escaped despite her best efforts at control.

Kya covered Lin's mouth with her other hand, felt Lin moan into her palm and strain back against her.

########################

If they were at home, Kya would draw this out. But here?—Lin would never let her touch her again if anyone so much as raised an eyebrow.

Quick then.

"Do you have any idea how much I'd like to be on my knees right now?" she whispered against Lin's neck. Another moan, but thankfully muffled now. "Tasting you."

Lin bit her finger and Kya smiled into her hair.

"But that would be crossing a line here. In your office."

Lin's head fell forward.

"And the longer I'm in here, the more suspicious it might seem. How long could a meeting about event-security take?"

Lin's hand left the desk then—pressed over Kya's, making each frenzied stroke harder, deeper-"So why don't you just come for me?"—until she needed both hands, both elbows to keep herself upright against her desk as her knees gave way and she did just as Kya asked.

########################

Kya's fingers moved again against too-sensitive nerves, withdrawing and leaving a tremor in their wake.

She settled back into Lin's chair as the Chief of Police slumped over her desk, trying to catch her breath.

########################

Lin fastened her pants and straightened her uniform. She rubbed at the quickly-swelling bruise at the nape of her neck.

She made a decision.

"Get out of my chair."

########################

"Is the Festival of the Waxing-"

"Waning."

"_Waning_ Crescent even a real thing?"

"Yes. Its next month."

"You can have all the officers you need."

"I'll need to spend more time than usual in the city."

"You should probably just move in with me."

"I'd certainly have more time to focus on the festival then."

"Get out of my office."

########################

"Kya and Lin."

Pema struggled not to smile as Tenzin dropped the book he'd been reading in his lap and finally broached the subject.

"Mmhmm." Pema carefully pulled Rohan's clinched fist away from her gown and settled the now-sleeping baby in the bed between them, wiping a bit of milk from his chin.

"My sister's always been very free with that sort of thing—"

"Kya _enjoys_ herself," Pema corrected, amused by the blush that was rapidly covering her husband's cheeks. "I've always been a little jealous of that actually."

"Really?" Tenzin's eyebrow raised. "But Lin—"

"Has been far more relaxed in the last few months than I can ever remember."

"I suppose."

"We might have seen the last of 'Chief Crankypants.'"

Tenzin chuckled despite himself.

"Now that she's having lots and lots of sex with your sister."

"Pema!"

"Shhh," Pema scolded. Tenzin looked sheepishly down at Rohan.

"And you know what they say about water benders," Pema teased.

"I'm turning out the light now."

Pema laughed, knowing that the blush had surely reached all the way to Tenzin's tattoo.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Super short little smidge of an update to celebrate the fact that Lin and Kya were actually in the same frame a couple of times during the finale. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I have more to come but the next update will probably not be for a couple of weeks.

There was nothing left to do but wait-and Lin had never been particularly good at waiting.

She'd spent the last hour fussing with the already immaculate house. Her uniform was neatly tucked away in the wardrobe for the night. There were orchids in a vase on the table, more orchids in the bedroom, fire-nation wine in the kitchen and outrageously expensive bath salts by the tub.

Were the flowers too much? Too cliche?

She considered throwing them away. She considered changing clothes. Something _dressier_?

Should she have bought candles?

###############################

She heard fumbling at the door, opened it to find a wide-eyed Kya standing at the other side-orchids under one arm, fire-nation wine under the other, a small pack slung over her shoulder.

"I didn't think you'd be home yet."

That would explain the hairpin wedged into her lock.

"That's unlawful entry, you know."

"Good thing I live here now or I could be in a lot of trouble."


	8. Chapter 8

Kya heard rather than saw Lin come home.

She'd quickly learned not to take these times personally, the evenings when all she got was a gruff hello instead of arms snaking around her waist.

Sometimes Lin just needed a cooling-down period, space to transform from work-Lin to home-Lin.

She heard the shower turn on-and run for longer than usual. Showers for Lin were brisk, efficient affairs.

Kya had poured two glasses of wine and set dinner on the table by the time Lin appeared in the kitchen.

Her hair was wet, a darker gunmetal than usual, shoved carelessly back from her face.

She was in a clean white-tank and loose-fitting pants.

She was obviously favoring her left leg and making every attempt to hide it.

"Why are you limping?"

Lin sat down, took the glass of wine Kya was offering before answering.

"Raid on a triad-run sweat shop." A slow sip of the burgundy liquid. "Someone tipped them off." Another, deeper swallow. "They set fire to the place before we could move in."

She finished the glass.

"We couldn't see through the smoke. So I had a look." She motioned dismissively down at her feet. "There was glass."

"Let me see."

"I got it all." But even as she said it, Lin was propping her foot onto her knee, submitting it for Kya's inspection.

When Kya disappeared into the bedroom, Lin examined again the handful of shallow cuts along the bottom of her foot. Scratches almost-_nothing really_, she thought-though that nothing still stung with each step.

Kya returned and unrolled a leather bundle onto the table. It was full of small knives, needles, dried herbs-a healer's tools.

Kya poured a bowl of water before selecting what Lin frankly thought was an unnecessarily large needle and settling in the floor in front of her.

Lin's suspicions were confirmed as Kya began to prod the needle into the arch of her foot-and kept _digging_, until finally she said, "_There_ you are."

Kya brandished the tiny sliver of green glass on the end of the needle like a trophy. She deposited it carefully into Lin's palm before a sweep of her hand sent a thin tendril of water from the bowl to settle briefly around Lin's foot.

Lin shivered-the water was shockingly cold where it met skin, burning where it crept beneath.

"Better by tomorrow,"Kya promised.

It was feeling better already.

#############################

Lin focused on the dish set out in front of her. Dinner, obviously-but in exactly what form Lin would be hard pressed to say.

It was soup-_ish_.

Kya's new-found enthusiasm for cooking-_for cooking for her_-was really very sweet. Sweet, but often inedible.

It reminded her of the handful of times that Toph had made an effort, guilted no doubt into "family meal time" by Aunt Katara. The results had often had a similar . . . consistency.

She spooned a bite into her mouth, chewed and swallowed-forced it to stay down.

She wondered if Kya also had something in that bundle for indigestion.

#############################

Kya knew Lin wasn't asleep. The fingers absently winding and unwinding in her hair hadn't stopped since they'd gone to bed almost an hour ago.

"What else happened today?"

The thumb of Lin's free hand brushed along the underside of Kya's breast-an obvious tactic, creating a distraction. She let Lin close the scant space between their bodies, but didn't respond in the usual way to the fabric of Lin's pajamas brushing against her bare back, to legs tangling with hers.

"You don't want to hear the rest," Lin warned.

"Need to." Kya drew Lin's hand at her ribs into hers, tucked them beneath her chin.

"The boss bolted the doors from the outside before he started the fire-didn't want to leave any evidence." _The people, inside._

"But you were there."

She felt Lin nod. _There_-in the middle of a burning building. She almost wanted to laugh at the obvious metaphor. She kissed the hand she was holding instead.

"A dozen in the hospital from smoke insulation, a few serious burns," Lin continued. "All refuges out of Ba Sing Se."

#############################

"What's the name of that street-vendor you like?" Kya asks later. "The one who sells those seaweed chips?"

"Yin?"

"How about dinner from Yin's tomorrow?"


	9. Chapter 9

Lin had exercised her privilege as Chief to close the training arena at headquarters for a session with the Avatar.

She was glad there wasn't an audience as she was currently locked in a dead draw with the girl.

Two impossibly large pieces of metal hovered in the space between them, shivering and rippling under the opposing forces driving them together.

Korra's blue eyes flicked to a spot behind Lin.

_Faltering concentration or a plan?_ Lin wondered.

"What's Kya doing here?"

And for a split second Lin let her own attention falter, her eyes cut to the place Korra was staring.

And found herself knocked unceremoniously to her ass.

* * *

Korra offered her a hand and Lin took it. It was her own damned fault for being distracted.

She brushed herself off as Kya—who really had been standing there—joined them down on the floor.

"I told you, I'm working late tonight—"

"Budget reports were due two weeks ago," Kya finished for her. "I'm not here for you."

"Yeah." Korra slung an arm around Kya's shoulder. "I'm the one with the hot date tonight."

Lin raised an eyebrow. The corner of her mouth twitched, threatening a smile.

"You could join us if you want," Kya offered.

Lin shook her head. "I've heard more than enough about the waning crescent, thank you. . . besides, I don't eat with cheaters."

Korra crossed her arms over her chest, narrowed her eyes and said gruffly, "Know your opponent's weaknesses, Avatar. Don't be afraid to take advantage of them."

Lin's mouth opened. She dropped her arms from her chest, planting her fists at her hips.

Korra grinned.

"Go get cleaned up."

The Avatar took a small bow—and Kya clapped—but she still did as Lin said, disappearing down into the locker rooms.

Lin pulled Kya to her as soon as Korra was out of sight.

* * *

"Don't encourage insubordination," she mumbled between kisses.

Kya's hand dropped lower from its spot on her waist and she grimaced.

"Put ice on that."

* * *

"Ahh . . ."

The fingers released their pressure.

"_No_. Don't stop."

They dug into the base of her neck again before the heel of a palm ground under her shoulder blade and hit just the right-wrong spot-"Stop."—more pressure—"Stop!"

"Maybe I should tell Korra to take it easier on you."

Lin laughed into the crook of her elbow. Kya's hands were stroking down her back now, soothing the muscles she'd just worried.

Lin didn't think she could do without these nights now that she'd gotten used to them, the nights when Kya coaxes her onto her stomach and peels off her shirt, when Kya straddles the back of her thighs and works all the day's knots out of her back.

"Looked like the metal bending lessons have been going well."

"Remarkably," Lin admitted. "She wants to learn to use the cables next week. Seems like a waste of time for an airbender."

The hands paused.

"I think I know what that's about."

"What?"

"Long, dark hair, bright green eyes, and an interest in mechanics."

Lin raised her head to look over her shoulder at Kya.

"The Sato-girl?"

Kya nodded and went back to walking her fingers down Lin's spine.

"Korra mentioned Asami had some ideas for improving the spool."

Kya felt the muscles tense in Lin's back again, didn't have to see her face to know that she was frowning, her pride wounded at the very suggestion.

"Nothing wrong with the design now."

"No," Kya agreed. She leaned forward, closer to Lin's ear. "Some other girl with dark hair, green eyes, and an interest in mechanics already did a pretty good job with that."

Lin smiled smugly at the compliment and Kya couldn't stop herself from adding: "Aunt Toph was smart _and_ beautiful."

She braced her hands on Lin's shoulders to keep from falling as Lin squirmed, trying to knock her off.

"Get off me."

Kya tilted her head forward to trail the ends of her hair slowly across Lin's naked skin. She watched the goose bumps raise across the small of Lin's back and felt another, _different_ squirm beneath her.

She knew she was forgiven.

* * *

Kya moved her hands lower and Lin grunted.

"Still sore?"

"What do you think?"

Lin felt Kya's fingers tugging at the band of her pajamas and raised her hips to let Kya pull them down and assess the damage.

She'd already seen the bruises in the mirror. They were just bruises and not particularly bad ones at that. She'd had much, _much_ worse.

Fingers trailed lightly over the fevered skin. Lin bit her lower lip. But who was _she_ to stop Kya from seeing for herself?

* * *

Kya carefully ran her fingers over the purple and blue splotches. The bruises were livid—but they were just bruises—and against Lin's lovely, pale skin and accentuating such a perfect curve—they were strangely beautiful.

"Isn't it a bit perverse for a healer to be turned on by bruises?"

"Only yours." Kya dropped her head, nipped at a bit of creamy, unbruised skin. "And only when they're on my favorite bits."


	10. Chapter 10

By the end of the night Kya's just drunk enough to be clumsy and clingy in a way that Lin would generally find annoying-in this public of a setting. (She'd already congratulated Kya on the turn out for the festival—and so had half the city council.)

Kya had explained to the crowd how this final part of the ceremony represented consciously letting go of the weight of the past—of disputes, bad relationships, poor decisions-of filling that space with clarity and new purpose.

As the crowd had watched a dozen waterbenders send lit lanterns off into the harbor, Kya had made her way down to Lin's side, had spoken just loud enough for Lin to hear and no one else.

It's this whispered resolution that had Lin making allowances for the hand that kept slipping into hers when they had to say hello to this old friend or to that merchant who had donated so generously to the event—for her own hands that found Kya's waist during the press of bodies to meet Bumi for one more drink.

* * *

Kya's just drunk enough not to ask why they aren't turning on any lights as Lin leads her by the hand through the dark house.

There's just enough light in the bedroom from the sliver of moon and the street lamps outside that she can see Lin undressing.

Lin's skin looks deceptively fragile as the shadows of her uniform fall away. Its hazy glow is distracting along the curve of hip to narrow waist-distracting too in its absence from the shallow valleys that frame each muscle in her upper arm.

She's stumbled out of her boots and fighting with the leather cord holding her hair up when Lin's hands catch hers. Steadier hands carefully untangle the tie and let her hair fall to her back, releasing a hint of incense lingering stubbornly from earlier in the night.

It's Lin's fingers that patiently undo the laces along her ribs, loosening the suede belt to fall around her feet-and Lin's hand that tugs the intricately painted cuff at her bicep down her arm and tosses it aside-Lin's fingers bunching in the fabric over her hips, pulling her outer-dress over her head.

Kya shrugs her shoulders, moves her hips just so and the dress beneath joins the rest of her clothes on the floor.

Lin walks backwards, pulls Kya forward.

* * *

Her weight shifts from one foot to the other; her hips hitch forward.

It isn't the alcohol alone that has Kya off balance.

Lin's fingers kneading into the backs of her thighs are somehow holding her upright but Lin's mouth on her breast is warm and wet and creating the perfect combination of bite and lap, of sting and soothe.

It's still a relief to fall forward.

* * *

She couldn't name a single spot that Lin hasn't touched.

She's scratched her nails against her scalp and tangled her fingers in her hair. Calloused palms have smoothed their way over her inner arm, the small of her back.

Lin's thumb is brushing lazy arcs between her legs. Her mouth has found the place behind her ear that makes her breath catch, the tender spot beneath her breast that makes her stutter out Lin's name.

When she comes, it's slow and soft and spreads over her in a shudder.

* * *

It takes a moment for mind to catch up with body-to realize that Lin is shifting her to her side, sliding up the length of her back, fumbling, then fitting them together.

And then Lin is impossibly inside her too, stretching her, filling her up and drawing out again-and again-and hitting _that _spot that makes her reach back and clutch at Lin's hair until the lights filling her vision fade and she can hear Lin saying something, something that requires a response.

That something makes her want to watch Lin come apart too, but her greedy body is moving again, drawing itself up on knees and elbows and rocking back harder.

When she comes this time, it's sudden and furious and leaves her biting at the sheets.

* * *

Lin's hand is the only thing moving between them now. She can feel Lin's breasts against her back, falling in time with the roll of her hips but out of sync with the breaths coming in pants against her shoulder.

She makes a half-hearted attempt to reach back to touch her, but manages only to brush her fingertips against Lin's thigh.

Lin's nails bite shallow crescents into her hip just before her weight collapses over her back.

* * *

When Kya wakes up, the room is brighter than it was before, but the sun isn't quite up yet—and neither is Lin. Her arm is still thrown over her back, a leg pinning hers down.

When she moves, rolling over and stretching, all the right places are sore.

Her foot meets something solid and cool, forgotten in the bed. _Nothing more than metal now_. When she kicks it clear of the sheets, it thuds to the floor far more loudly than she had expected.

"The hell-"

Lin's awake then—but her scowl is rendered ineffective by the sheer state of her hair. She blows a piece out of her face as Kya teases, "Which earth-bender spirit do I need to thank for your perfecting that little trick over the years?"

A satisfied smirk replaces the scowl.

"The first time you tried it, your ego was bigger than my—"

"I remember," she interrupts.

She buries her face against Kya's neck to hide the blush warming her cheeks. She remembers the bravado and enthusiasm of youth sometimes being at odds with skill-and anatomy.

She can still smell incense in Kya's hair and they have absolutely nowhere to be besides here for the rest of the day.

"Go back to sleep."


End file.
